Help cut and thread a new bbl plz

jG, a couple of constructive comment from looking at your pictures.

First, you are using way too much overhang on the turning/threading. That barrel is just 0.850" and you have it sticking out of the chuck jaws about 4-5". Keep everything cinched up close, barrel and tooling. Excessive overhang will cause serious accuracy problems in trying to hold precise diameters, and getting a good finish.

Second comment, you may have not done the crowing you show. Whoever did it, the finish looks hand polished. Hand polishing on the muzzle is fine but do not use sandpaper on the area where the crown meets the bore.
 
Thanks everyone for the help

Mr, Butch, Mr. Chisolm, Mr. Sharrett and others who comment i appreciate the help. I'm new at this -tried to read a lot but one day i just gotta jump in, make the mistakes and hope guys like you will steer me on the right path and i appreciate it.

I read a lot of the threads but never comment on most -that's where i have learned, BC members helping others. I hope you guys realize when you help me your helping a lot of other members here. I try and post pictures in my threads -hoping it will help everyone.

Mr Sharrett thanks for the tip on the crown, without a pic i would have missed that tip!

Here is the pic just before i started threading, i guess i am"stuck out" a little more than i should. I'm learning to work closer and closer to the chuck. I ran the crossslide into the spinning chuck jaws the frist day i had it, couple weeks back, lol. I'm still a little "gunshy" working up close.

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No disrespect but a lathe seems pretty simple as machinery goes - but boy does it have a lot of "suprises" one can get into - like when i went a little far and caught the bbl shoulder with my threading tool and the half nut would not disengage.

Douglas i'mm shoot you my addy... Mr. Bill may not want me reading his stuff, lol! thanks everyone joe :)
 
Update bbl #2 lilja

This is my second bbl to cut, thread and chamber. I really like my new lathe, does more than i know how to do by far! If your thinking about getting a lathe especially if you been wanting one more than 5 years like me get one! This 12x37" 2 hp was $2100 delivered to the door with the stand!! Boy i am having fun, even letting some of my chores (and job) go undone, lol.

LLJ11.jpg

I set my lathe on solid concrete blocks, i'm 6'4" and about "blind" without my glasses, lol. I want the damn thing up in my face where i can see and not break my back being bent over all day or for a fewq hrs, f*ck it even a few minutes!

This is a new Lilja 4 grove tight bore .850 straight, no taper. I got it from mr friedrich, has some markings on it, i thought from Lilja but i have learned -someone else slugged and marked it.

I wasn't exact sure where to cut but i think the marks were self explanitory enough, i'll be plenty close for my skills. I have been afraid to cut fearing i would make a mistake. Well i finally realized i'm gonna make mistakes no matter how long i wait. I'm going to have to cut and thread several bbls and get most my mistakes out of the way. I bet even uncle Bill made a few mistakes in the beginning! I bet i can make more mistakes than he can, lol.

First i cut the muzzle, Lilja marks the muzzle with a "saw cut", the end they do most of the lapping from, "whips out" the very end so they want you to cut that part off.

For me a parting tool is hard to keep from chattering "some". I parted the end off but next time i'm going to use a porta band for the cut and then square the cut on the lathe., I was thinking no need to beat up the gears inside the lathe with needless "chatter", i got plenty of years to do that!
LLJ1.jpg


LLJ2.jpg
Next was an attempt to do a better job of indicating than my last chamber job! This time i got my cut off point close to the chuck, decreases deflection when threading and chambering. You gotta be aware of the crossslide getting into the chuck jaws when working up close. (i found that out, lol)

LLJ3.jpg


LLJ4.jpg


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Chambering thru the head stock seems to me like it's going to be the most stable method to hold the bbl. My homemade "cathead"/"spyder" seems to be working great. Pretty easy to indicate, i watch my indicator why pushing on the bbl with my left hand, easy to figure which bolt to tighten first!

LLJ5.jpg

I made ny cut to length and slid the bbl out a bit more than probably necessary but i don't want any 'traim wrecks, lol.

A little unsure of this reading, is it .0015 or .00015 ?????

Anyway this is the runout before i start my "operations"!
LLJ6.jpg

Ok... i just had to use my 'dykem, lol. Laid out my cuts and went to work!

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Now after all thet "careful" planning and marking some how i missed my "chicken cut". threads end damn near a foot before the shoulder, wow -how did that happen??

LLJ9.jpg

No matter- i'm going to cutt eveything off and start again, i missed the threads "bad"! I set my cross slide at 29 degrees but from parallel to the ways, not from 90 degrees to the ways like it should be. I was wondering why my threads didn't look right.. i was cutting 61 degrees instead of 29 degrees!! A BIG ROOKIE MISTAKE!.

I still got a mistake or 2 i can make befor i'm at that magic 23 1/2" in lenght!

.............

here is what i'm trying to say about threading... it's 29 degrees from the cross feed being set at "straight in". The way my cross feed is marked "0" is where you can see it when the cross feed is parallel with the ways or 90 degrees to the cross slide. I just grabbed it and set it at 29 degrees and that was wrong..

the below pic is correct.... i hope i'm making sense!

LLJ10.jpg

Hey it's still fun, mistakes and all. if i get to bbl #20 and still fkin up, well it will be lathe for sale cheap, lol!! joe :)
 
Critique time again. You still have way too much overhang on the parting tool (cutoff tool).

The question you ask about the dial indicator reading, it is 0.00015" (actually about 00013")
 
I think that is a .0005" indicator Jerry, .0015" looks like to me. And I agree about the overhang on the cutoff tool. One reason for some of the chatter.

Joe
 
liljoe said:
I think that is a .0005" indicator Jerry, .0015" looks like to me. And I agree about the overhang on the cutoff tool. One reason for some of the chatter.

Joe
Click to expand...
Turn the compound around to 0-degrees, slide the tool post over to the left edge, crank the compound back to where it is sitting on its ways, not overhanging, then choke up on the cutoff tool holder.

Yep, it is 0.0015". I didn't look at the dial face. I was reading it like it was a 0.0001" dial instead of a 0.0005" dial.

Anyhoo, yoiu are getting there!!
 
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I appreciate the help!

JerrySharrett said:
Turn the compound around to 0-degrees, slide the tool post over to the left edge, crank the compound back to where it is sitting on its ways, not overhanging, then choke up on the cutoff tool holder.

Yep, it is 0.0015". I didn't look at the dial face. I was reading it like it was a 0.0001" dial instead of a 0.0005" dial.

Anyhoo, yoiu are getting there!!
Click to expand...

Thanks guys for the tips! I think i got it Mr. Sharrett on the cut off tool. Take out all the over hang and slack and move right up against the chuck jaws. Keep everything as "short" as possible to help with the chatter and distortion.

I was afraid it was .0015. I read where you guys shoot for .0002 -thats plum crazy, lol. It's gonna take a bit but i will try for it! I don't know if one of these China lathes are built that accurate. thanks, joe :)
 
jGEE said:
I was afraid it was .0015. I read where you guys shoot for .0002 -thats plum crazy, lol. It's gonna take a bit but i will try for it! I don't know if one of these China lathes are built that accurate. thanks, joe :)
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That 0.0002" isn't a function of the lathe, it is a function of your setup. Get rid of that adjust-tru 3-jaw and get a good 4-jaw chuck and learn how to indicate a workpiece in it.

You also need to have some "chucking material" between those jaws and the workpiece. You can use 1/8" aluminum or copper, large solid copper wire, or something really exotic like copper pennies.

I use pre 1982 copper pennies and just chuck on the first two teeth of the chuck. Pre 1982 pennies are solid copper.
 
The chuck appears to be a regular 3-jaw, not a set true? You could make a spyder to replace the chuck or use your 4-jaw.
 
JerrySharrett said:
That 0.0002" isn't a function of the lathe, it is a function of your setup. Get rid of that adjust-tru 3-jaw and get a good 4-jaw chuck and learn how to indicate a workpiece in it.

You also need to have some "chucking material" between those jaws and the workpiece. You can use 1/8" aluminum or copper, large solid copper wire, or something really exotic like copper pennies.

I use pre 1982 copper pennies and just chuck on the first two teeth of the chuck. Pre 1982 pennies are solid copper.
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Mr. Jerry thanks for the "penny trick"! i got plenty!!
As far as the 4 jaw chuck, my lathe came with one, ain't ever been out of the box. I'm scared of it, lol.

I'm afraid to try and change it, and will have to learn how to use it. I didn't want to "wreck" my new toy just yet..........

damn you guys are hard core, "forget about the mule, just load the wagon" , lol.

Should i be able to swap chucks back and forth with out a lot of set up time??? thanks!! joe :)

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Well somebody has to load the wagon if we are going to haul hay!!

As to changing chucks, it shouldn't take over 2-3 minutes to swap them out.

Clean up all the shipping grease off the new one the areas where it contacts the spindle face.

Your 4-jaw setup will be safer than the 3-jaw anyhoo.

Notice that cam-locks will lock (some) in both ways. Always turn the locks clockwise. Each time you change chucks inspect the lock pins on the chuck back. These pins screw in.

What you are looking for is if somehow one got screwed out (like a little shop helper). If a pin is screwed out you will notice it by the lack of pressure it takes to turn the cam lock.

A 4-jaw was never on that lathe???
 
Joe
You might want to stick a piece of plywood or a cutting board under under the chuck to protect the lathe bed when installing or removing the chucks.

Some people slide a piece of PVC or broom handle through the chuck 4"-6" and clamp the jaws down on the shaft.

It gives you a nice handle to hang onto and that way you don't get your fingers smashed between the heavy chuck and the lathe bed.

Joe a great job with the illustrated Q & A session.

Hal
 
I don't think that thing has a cam lock chuck on it. Look at the pic showing that parting tool hanging over about 5 inches and I don't see any bolts behind the chuck. There appears to be what looks like a clamp on there. I bet the chuck is threaded on there. Show us a pic of the back of the 4 jaw chuck.

Oh and like Jerry said changing the chuck only takes a couple minutes.

Joe Hynes
 
liljoe said:
I don't think that thing has a cam lock chuck on it. Look at the pic showing that parting tool hanging over about 5 inches and I don't see any bolts behind the chuck. There appears to be what looks like a clamp on there. I bet the chuck is threaded on there. Show us a pic of the back of the 4 jaw chuck.

Oh and like Jerry said changing the chuck only takes a couple minutes.

Joe Hynes
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Guys i appreciate the help! Well remember this is a $1800 China Cheep-ie, no pins. Here is the back of the 4 jaw and a the mounted 3 jaw.

That's a great tip on the "broom handle" and plywood. I would have just musseled it off. I'm trying to save the ways, i don't set anything across the ways when i'm doing stuff.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE HELP! joe :)

4JAW1.jpg


4JAW2.jpg
 
Lol

Joe, great thread, I remember doing pretty much all of that stuff at least once and sometimes twice before I figured it out!
A couple small tips, if you get some brass tipped screws for the spider it won't mar the barrel and save you some effort, I also take some 2" masking tape and tape the length of the barrel so it doesn't get scratched running it in and out the headstock. When you set up the 4 jaw chuck set it up so that the jaws on the chuck and the screws on the spider line up, makes adjustments to the barrel easier when they are all in the same plane.
Have fun, be safe, no rings, no long sleeve shirts.

Dennis
 
jGEE said:
Guys i appreciate the help! Well remember this is a $1800 China Cheep-ie, no pins. Here is the back of the 4 jaw and a the mounted 3 jaw.

That's a great tip on the "broom handle" and plywood. I would have just musseled it off. I'm trying to save the ways, i don't set anything across the ways when i'm doing stuff.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE HELP! joe :)
Click to expand...

That top picture is of a chuck without a mounting plate. Is there another piece somewhere? You sure don't want to have to swap mounting plates back and forth.

When you get used to the 4-jaw, you probably will never use the 3-jaw again at least for barrel work.
 
JerrySharrett said:
That top picture is of a chuck without a mounting plate. Is there another piece somewhere? You sure don't want to have to swap mounting plates back and forth.

When you get used to the 4-jaw, you probably will never use the 3-jaw again at least for barrel work.
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There are 4 bolts on the back side of the 3 jaw... could they both use the same mt plate that is now installed. it looks like they may locate on the inner diameter ring inside the bolt face flange?
thanks
joe:)
 
jGEE said:
There are 4 bolts on the back side of the 3 jaw... could they both use the same mt plate that is now installed. it looks like they may locate on the inner diameter ring inside the bolt face flange?
thanks
joe:)
Click to expand...
They can if the dimensions match on both, (the bolt circle and the pilot on the backing plate). That is why I said you don't want to keep swapping both chucks to the same backing plate it would take a lot of time....unless you are retired.

If the plate will fit the 4-jaw, put it on it and then just don't use the 3-jaw.

If you have some later application for the 3-jaw get another backing plate for it.
 
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